Polygamy or Adultery? Fanny Alger & Joseph Smith - John Turner Pt. 20 | Ep. 2078

Oct 31, 2025

John G. Turner, a historian and author renowned for his work on Joseph Smith, dives into the scandalous relationship between Joseph and Fanny Alger in the mid-1830s. He explores whether it was adultery, an early form of polygamy, or merely a fleeting affair. Turner discusses the impact of this episode on early church dynamics, Joseph's leadership expectations, and how it contributed to the eventual collapse of the Kirtland community. The conversation raises profound questions about morality, prophecy, and faith amidst controversy.

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INSIGHT

Value Historical Humility

Historians must practice humility when evidence is sparse or contradictory about early events in Joseph Smith's life.
John G. Turner cautions against definitive claims about the Fanny Alger episode given limited contemporary sources.

INSIGHT

Official Headings Shift Interpretations

The LDS Church updated Section 132 headings to suggest principles of plural marriage may have been known earlier.
Turner believes the change likely creates space to view Fanny Alger as an early plural wife.

INSIGHT

Claims Of Early Polygamy Teaching

Joseph Smith may have mentioned polygamy principles as early as 1831 according to later recollections like William W. Phelps.
Turner notes such claims were partly advanced to rebut RLDS denials of Joseph practicing polygamy.

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Welcome to part 20 of our epic series on Dr. John G. Turner’s landmark biography, “Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.”

Things are really heating up as we enter the mid-1830s in the life of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saint movement. This episode dives into one of the most controversial and debated episodes in early Mormon history –Joseph’s relationship with Fanny Alger, a young woman employed in the Smith household in Kirtland, Ohio in 1836.

Was it adultery? Was it an early form of plural marriage? Or was it something else entirely –a “scrape”?

Join us for Part 1 of Chapter 18, where we unpack Turner’s detailed treatment of this scandal, explore how it fractured relationships within the early church (especially between Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery), and trace how it shaped the theology of polygamy that would later emerge in Nauvoo.

Please purchase the book ⁠here⁠.

To support this series please donate ⁠here⁠. One half of all donations will go to Dr. Turner for as long as he is participating in the series.

00:00:00 Introductions00:02:55 How do you pronounce Fanny Alger’s name?00:04:25 New headings to the Doctrine and Covenants00:09:53 The Book of Mormon caveat on polygamy and linking it to the Bible00:13:58 When Joseph Smith met Fanny and when the affair began00:15:35 What do we know about Fanny Alger?00:21:34 Had Joseph not received the keys for sealing in 1836?00:24:12 How does this scandal erupt?00:27:54 Why did it take two years for this all to come out?00:29:16 Levi Hancock background on sealing Joseph to Fanny Alger00:36:02 The nature of the relationship00:40:09 “Dirty nasty filthy affair" vs “scrape”00:45:49 Eliza R. Snow considered Fanny to be Joseph’s first wife00:47:29 Was Joseph Smith trying to justify his feelings for Fanny?00:51:55 Another possible interpretation01:00:08 What happens to Fanny?01:02:58 Fanny’s final testimony on the matter01:07:12 Apostles hear rumors that Joseph has committed adultery01:14:15 The reasons Kirtland collapsed01:19:19 Why this breach between Joseph and Oliver becomes irreparable01:21:44 How Joseph Smith got away with this?01:26:24 One thing that doesn’t seem to have happened is that no one asked Emma01:33:46 Does this make Joseph Smith a fraud?01:45:25 Closing Remarks

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